Gas Prices Up for Ninth Straight Day

Written by City News Service

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose today for the ninth consecutive day, increasing a half-cent to $4.12.

The average price is 6.4 cents more than one week ago, 9 cents higher than one month ago and 35.3 cents greater than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

The average price has risen 8.2 cents over the past nine days, including 1 cent on both Wednesday and Thursday.

The Orange County average price also rose for the ninth consecutive day today, increasing six-tenths of a cent to $4.103. It is 6.1 cents more than one week ago, 9.2 cents higher than one month ago and 36.3 cents greater than one year ago.

The Orange County average price has risen 8.6 cents over the past nine days, including seven-tenths of a cent on Thursday.

The rising pump prices follow a sustained, rapid increase in wholesale gasoline prices, according to Jeffrey Spring of the Automobile Club of Southern California.

"Wholesale prices are zigzagging wildly this summer so it's very hard to predict whether this price increase at the pump will be sustained," Spring said.